Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grieben has confirmed today that that rumors are true. The Pawtucket Red Sox have officially been sold, and will relocate from their current home.

The Paw Sox have been playing at McCoy Stadium since 1970, when they relocated from Pittsfield, Massachusetts as part of the Eastern League (AA), and joined the International League (AAA) in 1973. The team had been owned by Ben Mondor since 1977, who saved the team from bankruptcy. Mondor died in 2010, and his wife, Madelaine, had been running the team in his stead.

Mayor Grieben called the news "very disappointing" this morning on WPRO, and added that the new owners did not find it feasible to upgrade the 13 year old stadium which had been renovated and expanded in 1992 and 1999. The new ownership instead prefers to build a new "destination stadium" -- most likely in downtown Providence.

The details of a possible stadium in Providence have not been made public, but it has been speculated that proposed site may be along the Allen's Avenue waterfront, or within the land reclaimed from the I-195 relocation project. There is also the possibility that the new ownership, which is partially comprised of the team's parent club, could move the team out of state.